On the maximum power transfer theorem within electromechanical systems

Abstract Conditions for maximum power transfer are considered within electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical systems. The familiar concept of resistance load matching within an electrical system is extended to a mechanical system and is 50 per cent efficient. For electromechanical systems, the transfer of maximum power from one domain (the electrical, say) to the other (mechanical, say) is also 50 per cent efficient. However, when losses occur in both the electrical and mechanical domains, the concept of load matching must be applied within the domain to which power is being delivered; efficiency is now <50 per cent, which is most easily seen from the source domain.